"You grew up too fast, sis," Harry smiles, hugging her, whispering in her ear and fighting through the lump in his throat. "And you look gorgeous."
His sister swallows, biting her lip and giving a laugh, also fighting tears. "Oh, hush, Harry. You're gonna make me cry, and then I'll smear all this makeup..."
Harry laughs, pulling away and offering his arm with the most genuine smile he's given in years. "I'm so happy for you. You did it. And I think he's really the one for you, if you were so sure enough to accept him. And look at you now! Now come on, Louis' waiting."
She smiles, shaking her head and letting out a laugh, her eyes flooding with tears. Instead of taking Harry's arm, she throws her arms around him, sobbing. "Harry, you're the best big brother EVER... I want you to know that." She kisses his cheek, laughing and crying, and he wipes her tears away, still smiling, his eyes shining.
"Shhh, you're ruining your makeup! Lets go!" He seizes her arm and skips out to the congregation, both of them smiling.
Harry and his sister start to walk down the Aisle, Tana's eyes ahead on Lou, looking as happy as ever. Louis is returning the smile with equal love and adoration. Harry watches the two, still smiling happily, but his eyes grew sad. He is about to give away his baby sister forever, he would never have to be the one to protect her again. Each step is bringing him closer to the departure, and his heart ached as he watched the promised couples' faces shine with excitement and ecstatic joy.
He is breaking, but he hasn't felt happier. His sister is having the dreams of her life fulfilled, and he is privileged enough to escort her to the beginning of them.
He smiles broadly, not noticing how his cheeks had started to ache from such enthusiastic upturning of his mouth.
It is all over too soon. Harry and Tana stop in front of Lou, who is dressed in his tux and brimming with joy. Harry regretfully lets go of Tana, hugging her one last time. His heart is screaming for her to stop, to call off the wedding and just date the bloke forever, but at the same time he is glad that his sister had found the one, and one that he approved of, at that. The hug is empty, as Tana was distracted by Louis now, but Harry still feels a chunk of him disappear when Tana pulls away and turned to Lou.
The couples' eyes lock, and sparks of happy electricity fly, Harry's heart cracking in half. He steps back off to the side as Louis' best man, but as he listens to the priest, his ears aren't really hearing.
Harry is locked away in his own world of despair, and he wants to fall to his knees and cry out to the sky, to let the ever-lingering ghost of misery out of him.
But he doesn't. Because he loves his sister. And even though she is leaving him forever, and she won't need her big brother to protect her anymore, Harry has to protect her from someone just one last time before Lou can take her into his arms. There is one looming obstacle Harry has to keep away from his sister on the happiest day of her life.
And that obstacle is himself.
He swears to himself he would not interrupt the ceremony, telling that he was saying no to this marriage instead of forever holding his peace, but he fights it. Because even though he is dying, watching his sister's eyes light up at the sight of someone else instead of him, he loves her so truly and deeply that he will not stop this for the world.
For anyone.
Anyone.
"You may kiss the bride," the preacher says, and Harry's world is shattered.